Parent Perspective: Inside Justin Hill’s commitment to Alabama

Emily Herzog has been sold on the Alabama Crimson Tide from the very beginning.

The program’s standard of excellence, its culture, and the overall feeling on campus has resonated with Herzog for over a year. Herzog had been a fan of Bama before her son became a target for the staff, and their first visit in June 2023 lived up to and exceeded expectations.

Of course, while her admiration and praise for the Tide never wavered, Justin Hill would ultimately go on to make the decision on his own. And in a day and age where it seems like every recruit’s decision is known well in advance, Hill kept things close to the vest.

He surprised his mother with a commitment to Alabama on July 3.

“I’m living the dream right now,” Herzog told BamaOnLine . “It was a surprise to me. People couldn’t believe that he made it a secret the whole time, but he did!”

Committing live on the On3 Recruits YouTube channel, Hill teared up in the lead-up to his announcement as he thanked his family, friends, and faith.

His parents embraced him afterward, and it was a memorable experience that they won’t soon forget.

“I remember I was sitting next to my niece in the bleachers,” Herzog said. “I burst out crying. It was the knee-jerk reaction, then I went running up on stage… I couldn’t have been more happy. I’m so happy for him and excited for his future. Like he said, we’re ready to get this senior year started, focus on his senior year, enjoy every minute of it, and then off to Bama!”

Strong relationships, attention to detail put Alabama over the top

Having made up his mind the day before, Justin Hill kept things a secret from everyone but his brother. The On3 RPM favored Ohio State (51.6 percent) over Bama (43.1 percent) as the read on his recruitment wasn’t as clear as it once appeared to be.

Even so, did Herzog have a feeling where her son would be committing ahead of the announcement?

“Everybody asks me this question,” Herzog replied. “Some days, I had a good idea that, ‘OK, I think it’s going to be Alabama.’ But then, as soon as I was confident in thinking that, he would say something that would change my mind.

“Right up until the night before… I had gotten a text from Coach Robinson to see if we had a chance to talk for 30 minutes,” Herzog continued. “We’re driving home and he’s like, ‘This is going to be hard. I’m going to have to tell some coaches my decision.’ So, instantly I’m thinking that he’s going to talk with Coach Robinson. Oh gosh, it’s not them!”

Hill spoke with On3 shortly after his commitment , in which he explained why Bama came out on top and his desire to land the No. 1 class. That goal isn’t a pipe dream as the Tide currently sit atop the rankings .

His mother dove deeper into how Alabama was able to pull off a shock to the recruiting world and land Hill.

“Honestly, I think it’s everything that he’s been saying the whole time,” Herzog said. “The feeling that he gets when he’s down there, that peaceful home feeling. And the relationship he has [with Coach Robinson]. I know it’s a new relationship, but you know how when you meet people and kind of click? He feels it’s a genuine relationship.

“They really do have a great start to a great foundation with coaches and players,” Herzog continued. “And oh my gosh, the players themselves. The fact that during the official visit, they were there. They didn’t have to be. But everywhere we were, they showed up. They were cheering Justin on, getting to know him, and they were vibing with him.

“It was such a cool atmosphere,” Herzog added. “It felt so nice and genuine, it really did. Right down to the trees… Denny Chimes, that park right there. He loves that park.”

While Hill had his mother’s blessing to choose Alabama for quite some time, what did this new staff do that separated themselves from other schools in the process for Herzog?

“Genuine attention to detail,” Herzog replied. “Coach Robinson was constantly asking, ‘Did we answer all your questions? Is there anything else?’ I would make a list of questions… just the attention to detail and making sure that we were satisfied with all the questions that we had. Making it crystal clear. The relationship, I guess is the best way to put it. It’s a really good relationship with them.”

Justin Hill has formed a bond with his future position coach

Christian Robinson has been an exceptional recruiter since joining the Crimson Tide staff earlier this year.

He has been the primary recruiter for both Hill and fellow ‘Wolf’ position player Dawson Merritt . The staff would have been more than pleased to land just one of them; to get two in the fold is a testament to Robinson’s recruiting abilities.

“He’s extremely excited, as well as I am,” Herzog said of Robinson. “The fact that he kept checking in on vacation is so nice of him. I kept encouraging him, ‘Go enjoy the family and have fun.’ But he kept reaching out to make sure we’re all good and to let us know how excited they all are.”

One of the main reasons why Robinson was able to build these relationships in such a short amount of time is the combination of openness and trust.

Robinson introduced Hill and his mother to his own family, and they connected on the common ground of caring for loved ones.

“We had the opportunity to meet his father and his wife. He talks about his siblings and his mother so often,” Herzog said. “You can see that he comes from a wonderful upbringing and a very family-oriented family. It shows through him. He’s got that caring family vibe. I think that’s a lot of what I was drawn to, knowing that he’s going to be down there and my son’s going to be down there.

“As freshmen, they tend to go through missing home; I feel comfortable that he’s going to have a great rapport with him to where he can stop by his house,” Herzog continued. “He’s definitely reached out and made everyone feel welcomed.”

Robinson was instrumental in helping Alabama to land Hill.

So was Kalen DeBoer , who has made what appears to be a seamless transition to Tuscaloosa. Whether it was Zoom calls or hour-long conversations on visits, DeBoer always presented a welcoming environment for the family.

“He is so laid-back,” Herzog said of DeBoer. “It’s kind of like, ‘Pinch me, is this real?’ to sit down at dinner with him and sit in his office. It was so casual, easygoing, and the conversation flowed. It was really heartfelt… it was just very relaxing. I think he’s going to do a great job. He has an easygoing personality that will connect with a lot of players in the way of building relationships.”

Alabama is the same in 2024 as it was years prior: “They are the standard.”

It’s a somewhat surreal situation for Hill as he was able to be highly recruited by both DeBoer and Nick Saban ‘s staffs. The family visited twice in 2023 for a camp and the Texas game, and were on campus twice this year for A-Day and their June 14-16 official visit.

Herzog says things have remained relatively the same from one regime to the other.

“It’s still the Bama that we remembered the first time around,” Herzog said. “The only thing, if I had to say differently, is that it’s a younger vibe. All the coaches were a little bit on the younger side. Other than that, everything is run the same. Just a different set of people doing it.”

As such, Herzog viewed Alabama as the perfect destination for her son to maximize his potential on the gridiron.

“I am a fan,” Herzog said. “But they are the standard. They are the head of the SEC. Why wouldn’t you choose Bama? They’re great… I’m so excited that I get to share this experience with him. I know it’s going to be nothing but a great three or four years. It’s going to be wonderful. I believe they’re going to develop him into the best football player he can be and take him to the next level. I’m so excited for him.”

While his commitment is only two weeks old, we still wanted to ask Herzog if her son plans on taking any additional visits, or if his recruitment is shut down.

She provided an emphatic response.

“Shut down!!!” Herzog said.

Prior to wrapping up our conversation, BOL asked Herzog to share who Alabama is getting in Justin Hill, both on and off the field.

“The boy that I raised – They’re getting a beautiful young man with a great heart and a love for football,” Herzog said. “Someone who is caring. He’s a captain, so he’s a leader. I feel like he’s going to develop with them into a wonderful young man. They’re going to enjoy getting to know more of him because he’s got a lot to offer. A lot of great things are going to come, for both Alabama and Justin.”

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